Old Dogs And New Blood
by Slayne22
Summary: The new ninja hotness of the Joes learns a lesson from an old dog. CYBERLIFE READERS- please read the notes in this story for info on where to find the final chapter!


**Old Dogs and New Blood**

By Slayne22

Disclaimer: Don't own no Joes nor profit from them. 

Events referred to in this segment are in issue #9 of the Devil's Due comic.

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CYBERLIFE READERS!-- I'm sorry, but FF.net has pulled Cyberlife from it's archives because they have a rule against posting stories that are based on chat conversation.( rolls eyes) 

Sooo... please go to the following site to read the last chapter. FF.net doesn't allow links (taking my life in my own hands again, lol), so you'll have to cut and paste it into your browser then take out the spaces between all the symbols and words. If you'd like to comment on it, you can either fill out a feedback form there, email me privately (it's on my author page here) or put a review on this story. Thanks so much for all the support for Cyberlife! Please read the last chapter in pop up-free comfort.

www. gijoefanfiction. com / slaynefic / cyberlife23.htm

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Kamakura slowly circled the huge punching bag with his hands held up in defense. His dark eyes pinned the lifeless bag with an intense stare from within the dark green balaclava he wore.

"Sooo… we meet again, Grasshopper. This time I shall be victorious…" He continued moving his mouth after the words were said, imitating a badly dubbed Chinese kung-fu movie. The bag said nothing in return.

He quickly hit it with a two-punch combination, jabbing with his left fist then bringing his right around in a full-on swing that forced the heavy bag to sway backwards.

"Surrender yet, Grasshopper? No?" He drove his heel into the bag then met it with his right fist again as it swung back on him. Catching it and steadying it, he leapt in the air and drove both feet into it violently and quickly, pushing off to flip himself backwards. He dropped back down to the dojo floor with cat-like grace.

"Well!" A voice boomed from behind him. The ninja whirled and saw Beach Head walking into the dojo. The ranger was dressed in his full combat uniform, including balaclava, and he glared at the younger man as he slowly approached. "I can see now why you chose to skip my hand-to-hand combat class. Any man who can beat up a punching bag like that… can certainly beat Cobra without any help."

Kamakura bristled at the thick sarcasm in the Command Sergeant Major's voice. He stood tensely and motionless as Beach Head stalked around him in a circle.

"I know 12 different types of martial arts, Sergeant. The Silent Master has judged me worthy of fighting at his side."

Beach Head's eyes narrowed and he jabbed a finger in the air towards the ninja's chest. "Snake Eyes judged you worthy of joining this team. I, however, have not. Skipping my class ain't helping."

Kamakura sighed inwardly. Of all the Joes, this man was by far the most difficult to get along with. His feelings on ninjas were obvious and grim. "Look, Beach Head, I don't want to offend you in any way, but…"

"But, you're going to." Beach Head finished for him. He stepped closer to the ninja, and Kamakura felt himself flinch slightly in anticipation of the man's scent. The ranger was known to often work out all day in full combat uniform without deodorant. If he got in your face after lunch, it was like a whole attack on it's own. It was even worse when he ate his lunch buried in onions. Of course, Beach knew full well what he was doing, although that didn't make it any better for the victims of his assaults.

Kamakura tried to breathe shallowly through his mouth as he studied the bigger man. "No offense, Sergeant, but I've mastered more hand-to-hand combat than you'll ever hope to know. Your class is a waste of time for me."

The Ranger's left eyebrow shot upwards. "Is that so… 'Grasshopper'?"

Kamakura swallowed a bit of embarassment. "Yes, Sergeant. Like I said… no offense meant."

Beach Head shrugged. "Why would I take offense? Offense says I care about your opinion of me… which I don't."

"No," Kamakura muttered, glaring at him. "Not when it's a ninja giving the opinion you don't."

Beach Head's eyes narrowed again as his mouth seemed to twitch under the mask. "Like I've said before, this ninja kung-fu crap is highly overrated."

Kamakura tilted his head a bit. "Yes, I remember when you said that before. That was right before you got spanked by Storm Shadow, correct?" He felt victorious as he watched the ranger's jaw tighten, and he pushed it further. "We found you barely concious in an elevator, moaning like a baby."

"If you hadn't gotten in my way there…"

"Oh yes." Kamakura muttered sarcastically. "I'm sure you'd have 'taken that bad boy' right out."

There was a silence in the dojo as Beach Head clenched his teeth and held the ninja's gaze with piercing intensity. The memories of that day filtered hazily through his mind. He remembered all of his bold exclamations that day, all of the fight before he was trapped in the elevator with a greenshirt and Storm Shadow. After that… it became fuzzier. Mostly he remembered flashes of conciousness while he lay on the floor and later, on the stretcher. He kept hearing a voice moaning and occasionally muttering senseless words between deep breaths. It was hours before he realized it was him. A side effect of his concussion that the others still poked fun at. The others had earned that right.

This arrogant little pissant had not.

"All right, 'Grasshopper', get your sword. Let's go."

Kamakura looked surprised. "What?"

"Pick a damned sword and let's go. You and I. Right here. You win, I give you a total bye on my class. You don't have to go. I win… you show up for every class. Even the ones you aren't scheduled for."

Kamakura shook his head a bit. What the hell was the Sergeant Major thinking? He was no match for an Arashikage ninja. Storm Shadow had proven that very effectively only a few months ago.

"Beach Head, I can't do this. My master's first lesson was that to fight an opponent weaker than you is…"

"Your master is as full of shit as you are."

Kamakura sucked in his breath. "You're trying to goad me."

"I gave you the terms, Junior. You gonna accept or not? If not, we take it to the General. We'll see what he has to say about you skipping my class."

Kamakura struggled to keep his breathing under control as his anger seethed. He walked to the weapons rack and chose his usual Kendo 'shinai', it was a modified bamboo sword used for practice only. It was light and easily maneuverable, but required two hands to wield it with skill.

Beach Head looked over the selection and chose a heavier version. Kamakura shook his head. "You should choose a lighter shinai, Sergeant. Your size already makes you much slower than I."

"Quit stallin', Nancy… let's go."

Kamakura clenched his teeth in irritation. "As you wish."

He used the tip of his shinai to indicate the bamboo 'do' at the end of the rack. Beach Head glanced at the protective chest plate and just shook his head with a derisive sound. "Ready, set, go." He said, and held the shinai up in front of him.

Kamakura dropped into his fighting stance and held the shinai with a comfortable confidence. The two men, similarly clad in dark green clothing and balaclavas, began to slowly circle each other. Brown eyes met black and held as they faced off.

As the minutes stretched on, there was a twitch from under Beach Head's mask. "Is this how you normally attack?" He asked with a raised brow. "You circle your enemy until he gets dizzy and falls over?"

Kamakura leapt forward at that comment and connected strongly with the ranger's shinai. Beach Head had to straighten up quickly and defend. The kid was fast. Real fast.

The bamboo swords clacked together, and Beach Head put his weight behind his weapon and shoved the younger man back hard. The ninja fell back gracefully onto his heels then simply sprang forward again, feinting this time at a straight-forward attack, then darting right and slipping his sword beneath Beach Head's. The shinai hit Beach Head in the ribs. He barely seemed to notice. Reaching out, he placed a hand on Kamakura's shoulder and shoved him backwards.

Kamakura came in again, his shinai swinging quickly around the ranger's defensive stance and hitting him on the shoulder. Again, Beach Head barely seemed to notice. As Kamakura began a whirling assault on the older man, he realized that Beach Head wasn't attacking in turn. The ranger was blocking the ninja's blows with his elbows, or turning his body to take the hits on the bigger, stronger parts of his body, such as his shoulders, his thighs, his back. Although Kamakura didn't really expect the far-more experienced soldier to give many hints to feeling pain, he knew it had to hurt.

He dropped back to catch his breath, balancing on the balls of his feet and holding his shinai in front of him to guard. "Why do you not attack?"

Beach Head stretched his neck sideways with a crack and held his gaze. "I'm seeing what you're made of, kid. Those little gnat-bites supposed to have me cryin' for my mama?"

Kamakura scowled beneath his mask. "I am attempting to give you the respect you deserve, Beach Head. I do not wish to hurt you."

There was a short snort of laughter from the older man. "Well now… that's a lie." He swung his sword out and hit Kamakura's shinai. "Come on, let's see what you're really made of."

He hit the ninja's shinai again, then again. Kamakura knew he was being baited. A common trick to try and undermine the teaching of a ninja. Disturb his peace of mind and force him to act rashly. Still… if the man wanted to feel a real hit…

He ducked under the next swing and spun, delivering a quick blow to the man's thigh, before arcing around and bringing his shinai in for an attempt to disarm the ranger. Instead, Beach Head suddenly used one hand to hold his shinai and defend against the incoming sword, and with the other, he made a fist and delivered a stinging blow to Kamakura's jaw.

Kamakura lost his balance and stumbled, then scrambled away. He regained his feet, blinking at the other man. "That's not fencing. That's medieval street fighting." He protested.

Beach Head raised a brow at him. "Who said I knew how to fence?"

"You…?" The rest of Kamakura's question was erased from his mind as the ranger suddenly came for him. He swung the shinai in one hand and delivered punches with the other. In close proximity, the shinai became useless, but Kamakura's speed finally allowed him the edge he needed to deliver some stinging blows to the ranger's midsection, before he brought his elbow up violently and connected solidly with the older soldier's face.

Beach Head grunted and stepped back, allowing the ninja to back away. Kamakura could not keep the smile of satisfaction from creeping across his face when he saw the slowly darkening stain in the mask over the ranger's mouth. Beach Head swore softly and jerked the balaclava from his head, throwing it to the side. Blood was smeared along his chin and jaw and another trickle emerged from a bitten lip.

"I warned you, old man." Kamakura let the smile into his eyes.

"Pay attention, Junior… maybe you'll learn something." Beach Head replied, coming in again. He grabbed Kamakura's shinai as the younger man brought it in for a blow. His fist again connected with the ninja's jaw, then his foot came in to sweep Kamakura's legs out from under him. Kamakura avoided that, but couldn't free his shinai from the Sergeant's grasp.

"Ever see Raiders of the Lost Ark?" Beach Head muttered to him as they wrestled for the sword. "A good gun beats a sword anyday."

In answer, Kamakura grabbed the other man's elbow and dug into the pressure point he knew was there. Beach Head made a frustrated, angry sound as the fingers on his arm suddenly twitched and went numb. He lost his grip on the shinai, and Kamakura pulled it free.

They darted in and out, their fists meeting flesh more often than their swords. Kamakura's jaw ached, and he felt one of his eyes beginning to swell shut. He was angry, frustrated and tired. "This is not an acceptable form of honorable combat." He spat out.

"You'd better get your mind off the rules, son. You think Cobra Commander is going to tip his hood and say 'en garde' before fighting?"

"No." Kamakura answered deliberately, seething inside. "But you and I, should."

Beach Head suddenly stepped back, dropped his shinai and stood upright. Kamakura eyed him warily. The older man held his arms up, palms out. "OK… come on then. One more round and I won't use my fists."

Kamakura knew he should stop, but simply didn't care. He stepped forward, spinning his sword in an intricate move for attack… and Beach Head blocked with one arm and put a boot in Kamakura's groin.

Pain cut through the ninja's body, sharp and overwhelming. While his training kept him upright and moving and trying to ignore the pain, he lost concentration. Beach Head disarmed him, threw his shinai away, then wrestled him to the ground, sitting on his legs and pinning his head down with one brawny hand.

"That's it, kid."

Kamakura lay there for a moment, trying to concentrate on breathing, letting the pain ripple through his groin and then out of his body. "That was cheating…" He gasped.

Beach Head bent down over his body until they were glaring eye to eye, barely inches apart. "Ain't no cheating in combat against Cobra, son. It's just you and them… and one of you has to come out alive."

"Then…" Kamakura gasped again. "It will be me."

There was a distinct 'click' from between them.

Beach Head froze. He knew that sound intimately. He slowly looked down to where the ninja held a small pistol aimed into his ribs. Looking up again, he held Kamakura's gaze for a long moment. Kamakura swallowed nervously and quickly reassured him. "It's not loaded."

"Where the hell did you get that?"

"I may use a lot of 'kung-fu crap', Sergeant… but this is one ninja who carries a gun… and is prepared to use it."

Beach Head stared at him intently, then a corner of his mouth suddenly twitched upwards. "Well, I'll be damned. There may be hope for you yet, son."

He stood and offered the younger man a hand, pulling him to his feet.

"I won, right? I won fair?" Kamakura grinned.

It looked like it killed him to say it, but Beach Head nodded. "Yeah… you won fair. I'll take care of the class."

He leaned down to pick up his blood-soaked balaclava as Kamakura put both shinai back into their racks.

"Actually…" Kamakura said hesitantly as the ranger ran a sleeve across his mouth, wiping the blood away. "If you don't mind… I think I'll come to the class anyway. My master says there is always more to learn. When we think we have learned all there is to know… that is when a lesson shall be taught."

"Yeah, whatever, kid. Just show up on time, ok?"

Kamakura laughed. "OK."

They started to walk from the dojo, and Beach Head slapped a hand on the ninja's shoulder good naturedly. "You old enough to get a beer?"

"I am. Are you young enough to walk there without help? Or should I get a wheelchair?"

"Careful." Beach Head warned, but there was an amused glint in his eyes. "You've got more time until retirement, you can buy."

Kamakura looked at him thoughtfully. "Perhaps it would be better if you bought, Sergeant. We'd get the senior citizen's discount."

Beach Head shoved him through the door. "Great. Another team comedian. Just what I needed."

End


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